Shakespeare, racial discrimination, and strong doses of inspiration and determination—all in one notable life.
In the 1800s, an African-American boy dreamed of performing on stage and found success in Europe.
Ira Aldridge was a noted and popular Shakespearean actor in England and on the Continent, excelling in the Bard’s dramatic roles. Born to free black parents in New York City in 1807, he soon realized that America would not nurture his dreams, so he sailed for England. Success was not easy, but it did come. Aldridge, ever mindful of slavery at home, would talk to audiences after his performances and raise money for abolitionists. Armand presents the narrative in an easygoing style with imagined dialogue and scenes, focusing both on Aldridge’s childhood, when the beauty of Shakespeare’s words first enthralled him, and his later stage performances. Occasional quotes from Shakespeare add to the theatrical flavor. Cooper’s signature art style—oil wash with kneaded erasures—captures dramatic scenes from The Merchant of Venice and Othello, with shades of yellow effectively mimicking stage lighting. All in all, it’s a fine introduction for children to yet another distinguished name in the realm of African-American arts.
Shakespeare, racial discrimination, and strong doses of inspiration and determination—all in one notable life. (photograph, afterword, quotation sources, books, and websites) (Picture book/biography. 6-9)Pub Date: June 15, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-62014-155-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Lee & Low Books
Review Posted Online: March 31, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A heartfelt forward pass from one generation to the next (and the next).
A pigskin-themed paean to family and family traditions.
As images depict a football-shaped newborn growing up, marrying, and helping to produce another—the second actually dressed in a football onesie, which is adorable—sports podcaster Holloway notes rookie season fumbles and triumphs, team huddles on the sofa to watch the big games, the passage of quarters and seasons, and major life events (like the wedding: “One day you may get drafted / To a franchise of your own”). All the while, Holloway promises to cheer from the sidelines in victory or defeat, to be there when needed, and to give each “wonderful expansion / of our football family” both a welcome and proper coaching. The family in Jang’s shiny, reasonably realistic illustrations includes three children. The verse’s language is nonspecific enough to apply to offspring of any gender as well as adoptees. In school settings and on playing fields of several sorts, the child, at various ages, light-skinned like their parents, joins a diverse group of peers, including one wearing a hijab and another who uses a hearing aid, while the child’s own family includes a dark-skinned sibling and, by the end, a child with, like their spouse, Asian features. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A heartfelt forward pass from one generation to the next (and the next). (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-250-84715-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
Make space for this clever blend of science and self-realization.
If Pluto can’t be a planet—then what is he?
Having been a regular planet for “the better part of forever,” Pluto is understandably knocked out of orbit by his sudden exclusion. With Charon and his four other moons in tow he sets off in search of a new identity. Unfortunately, that only spins him into further gloom, as he doesn’t have a tail like his friend Halley’s comet, is too big to join Ida and the other asteroids, and feels disinclined to try to crash into Earth like meteoroids Gem and Persi. Then, just as he’s about to plunge into a black hole of despair, an encounter with a whole quartet of kindred spheroids led by Eris rocks his world…and a follow-up surprise party thrown by an apologetic Saturn (“Dwarf planet has a nice RING to it”) and the other seven former colleagues literally puts him “over the moon.” Demmer gives all the heavenly bodies big eyes (some, including the feminine Saturn, with long lashes) and, on occasion, short arms along with distinctive identifying colors or markings. Dressing the troublemaking meteoroids in do-rags and sunglasses sounds an off note. Without mentioning that the reclassification is still controversial, Wade closes with a (somewhat) straighter account of Pluto’s current official status and the reasons for it.
Make space for this clever blend of science and self-realization. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-68446-004-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Capstone Young Readers
Review Posted Online: April 24, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2018
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